Researchers Unsure What’s Fueling Black Child Suicides

In America, suicides among Black children under the age of 18 are up 71 percent in the past decade. The Chicago Tribune reports that in 2006, there were 86 instances of Black children taking their own lives, but in 2016, there was a total of 147. The suicide rate among all children has also increased by 64 percent, the news outlet reports.

But researchers still are uncertain about what seems to be fueling the slightly larger rise in Black children committing suicide. According to the Tribune, some believe that racism might be a factory. Another theory could be the idea that suicide isn’t a problem in the African-American community, thus getting in the way of prevention efforts.

According to statistics. Suicide even rose among the youngest children (13 and under). From 2006 to 2016, the number increased by 114 percent, while the rate of growth in this age group increased at a more slower pace (30 percent).